DEARLY beloved, it hath pleased Almighty God, in his justice, to bring you under the sentence and condemnation of the law. You are shortly to suffer death in such a manner, that others, warned by your example, may be the more afraid to offend; and we pray God, that you may make such use of your punishments in this world, that your soul may be saved in the world to come. Wherefore we come to you in the bowels of compassion; and being desirous that you should avoid presumption on the one hand, and despair on the other, shall plainly lay before you the wretched. ness of your condition, and declare how far you ought to depend on the mercies of God, and the merits of our Saviour. Consider then seriously with yourself, in all appearance the time of your dissolution draweth near; your sins have laid fast hold upon you; you are soon to be removed from among men by a violent death; and you shall fade away suddenly like the grass, which in the morning is green and groweth up, but in the evening is cut down, dried up, and withered. After you have thus finished the course of a sinful and miserable life, you shall appear before the Judge of all flesh; who, as he pronounces blessings on the righteous, shall likewise say, with a terrible voice of most just judgment, to the wicked, Go, ye accursed, into the fire everlasting, prepared for the devil and his angels. Your sins have brought you too near this dreadful sentence: it is therefore your part and duty, my brother, humbly to confess and bewail your great and manifold offences, and to repent you truly of your sins, as you tender the eternal salvation of your soul. Be not deceived with a vain and presumptuous expectation of God's favour, nor say within yourself, Peace, peace, where there is no peace; for there is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. God is not mocked; he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; and without holiness no man shall see the Lord. On the other hand, despair not of God's mercy, though trouble is on every side; for God shutteth not up his mercies for ever in displeasure: but if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Do not either way abuse the goodness of God, who calleth us mercifully to amendment, and of his endless pity promiseth us forgiveness of that which is past, if with a perfect and a true heart we return unto him. Since therefore you are soon to pass into an endless and unchangeable state, and your future happiness or misery depends upon the few moments which are left you, I require you strictly to examine yourself, and your estate both towards God and towards man; and let no worldly consideration hinder you from making a true and full confession of your sins, and giving all the satisfaction which is in your power to every one whom you have wronged or injured; that you may find mercy at your heavenly Father's hand, for Christ's snke, and not be condemned in the dreadful day of judgment. Lastly, beloved, submit yourself with Christian resignation to the just judgment of God, which your own crimes have brought upon you, and be in charity with all men; being ready sincerely to forgive all such as have offended you, not excepting those who have prosecuted you even unto death: and, though this may seem a hard saying, yet know assuredly, that without it your charity is not yet perfect. And fail not earnestly to endeavour and pray for this blessed temper and composure of mind. So may you cast yourself with an entire dependence upon the mercies of God, through the merits of our Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Here the Minister shall examine him concerning his faith, and rehearse the Articles of the Creed, Dost thou believe in God, &c. And the Criminal shall answer, All this I steadfastly believe. Then shall the Minister examine whether he repent him truly of his sins, exhorting him to a particular confession of the sin for which he is condemned; and upon confession, he shall instruct him what satisfaction ought to be made to those whom he has offended thereby ; and if he knoweth any combinations in wickedness, or any evil practices designed against others, let him be admonished to the utmost of his power to discover and prevent them. After his confession, the Priest shall declare to him the pardoning mercy of God, in the form which is used in the Communion Service. After which shall be said the Collect following. HOLY Jesus, who, of thine infinite goodness, didst accept the conversion of a sinner on the cross; Open thine eye of mercy upon this thy servant, who desireth pardon and forgiveness, though in his latest hour he turneth unto thee. Renew in him whatsoever hath been decayed by the fraud and malice of the devil, or by his own carnal will and frailness. Consider his contrition; accept his repentance; and forasmuch as he putteth his full trust only in thy inercy, impute not unto him his former sins, but strengthen him with thy blessed Spirit: and when thou art pleased to take him hence, take him unto thy favour. This we beg through thy merits, O Lord, our Saviour and our Redeemer. Amen. Then shall the Minister say, O FATHER of mercies, and God of all comfort; We fly unto thee for succour in behalf of this thy servant, who is now under the sentence of condemnation. The day of his calamity is at hand, and he is accounted as one of those who go down into the pit. Blessed Lord, remember thy mercies; look upon his infirmities; hear the voice of his complaint; give him, we beseech thee, patience in this his time of adversity, and support under the terrors which encompass him; set before his eyes the things he hath done in the body, which have justly provoked thee to anger; and forasmuch as his continuance appeareth to be short amongst us, quicken him so much the more by thy grace and Holy Spirit; that he, being converted and reconciled unto thee, before thy judgments have cut him off from the earth, may at the hour of his death depart in peace, and be received into thine everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Adding this. SAVIOUR of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us; Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord. Then the Minister, standing, shall say, IN the midst of life we are in death of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased? Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death. Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not thy merciful ears to our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee. Then the Minister shall say, THE Almighty God, who is a most strong tower to all those who put their trust in him, to whom all things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth, do bow and obey, Be now and evermore thy defence; and make thee know and feel, that there is none other Name under heaven given to man, in whom, and through whom, thou mayest receive salvation, but only the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. And after that shall say, UNTO God's gracious mercy and protection we commit thee. The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace, both now and ever more. Amen. At the time of Execution, besides all, or such parts of the forego-. ing Office as the Minister shall judge proper, shall be said the Commendatory Prayer for a person at the point of departure, as it is in the Visitation of the Sick. The Collect for the Communion Service. GOD, who declarest thy almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity; We beseech thee to have mercy upon this thy servant, who for his transgressions is appointed to die. Grant that he may take thy judgments patiently, and repent him truly of his sins; that he recovering thy favour, the fearful reward of his actions may end with this life; and whensoever his soul shall depart from the body it may be without spot presented unto thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Epistle. Heb. xii. 11. NO chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righte. busness, unto them which are exercised thereby. The Gospel. St. John v. 24. VERILY, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. A Prayer for imprisoned Debtors. MOST gracious God, look down in pity and compassion upon these thine afflicted servants, who are fallen under the misery of a close restraint. Give them always a deep sense of their sins, and of thy fatherly love and correction; and the more their confinement presseth hard upon them, the more let the comforts of thy grace and mercy abound towards them. Give to their creditors tenderness and compassion, and to them a meek and forgiving spirit towards all those who have confined them, and a full purpose to repair all the injuries and losses which others have sustained by them Raise them up friends to pity and relieve them; give them the continued comfort of thy countenance here; and so sanctify their afflictions, that they may work for them an eternal weight of glory; through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen A FORM OF PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING ΤΟ ALMIGHTY GOD, For the fruits of the earth, and all the other blessings of his merciful Providence; to be used ycarly on the FIRST THURSDAY IN NOVEMBER, or on such other day as shall be appointed by the Civil Authority. The service shall be as usual, except where it is hereby otherwise appointed. Among the Sentences at the beginning of Morning Prayer shall be the following. HONOUR the LORD with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Prov. iii. 9, 10. The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens: by his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. Prov. iii. 19, 20. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everiast ing arms. Deut. xxxiii. 27. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone; the fountain of Jacob thall be upon the land of corn and of wine, also his heaven shall drop down dew. Deut. xxxiii. 28. Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! Deut. xxxiii. 29. Instead of, O come let us sing, &c., the following shall be said or sung. PRAISE ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely. The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth those that are broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth; he maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which сгу. Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Sion. For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. Then shall be said or sung one of the Selections, or some other portion of the Psalms, at the discretion of the Minister. The First Lesson shall be Deut. viii., and the Second Lesson shall be 1 Thess. v. 12 to 24. After the General Thanksgiving, shall be said this which fol loweth. MOST gracious God, by whose knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew; We yield thee unfeigned thanks and praise, as for all thy mercies, so especially for the returns of seed-time and harvest, and for crowning the year with thy goodness, in the increase of the ground, and the gathering in of the fruits thereof. And, we beseech thee, give us a just sense of this great mercy; such as may appear in our lives, by an humble, holy, and obedient walking before thee all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all glory and honour, world without end. Amen. The Collect to be used instead of that for the day. O MOST merciful Father, who hast blessed the labours of the husbandman in the returns of the fruits of the earth; We give thee humble and hearty thanks for this thy bounty; beseeching thee to continue thy loving-kindness to us; that our land may still yield her increase, to thy glory and our comfort; through Jesus Christ |